Everyone is busy these days, but here's something that made me stop and pause and absorb for more than a minute!
A headline in our local paper jumped out at me:
"Gabriel's Music Heard Round the World: from D-Day to musical Hall of Fame - a life of ying and yang"
The article is worth a read (HERE)......you'll learn about a still very active 82 year old, WWII veteran of Omaha Beach, who earned his music ed degrees at Ithaca after the war, and lead the USAF band, Symphony Orchestra, and Singing Sergeants from 1964-1985, bringing it to military and civilian events in all 50 states and 50 countries.
Ran into a copy of the the Stephen Foster poem/song, "Beautiful Dreamer", which seems appropriate for Valentines day.....to read the lyrics, CLICK HERE!
For those curious about Stephen Foster, (1826 - 1864, known as the "father of American Music"), there are some links below, as well as links to American Popular song.....
To whet your interest, PBS calls Foster "the first great American songwriter". PBS goes on to say: "His melodies are so much a part of American history and culture that most people think they're folk tunes. All in all he composed some 200 songs, including "Oh! Susanna" "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," and "Camptown Races." Though he virtually invented popular music as we recognize it today, Foster's personal life was tragic and contradiction-riddled. His marriage was largely unhappy, he never made much money from his work and he died at the age of 37 a nearly penniless alcoholic on the Bowery in New York." (SEE REFERENCE LINK BELOW)
Alas, while Foster's music is to be honored, all I could think of after reading "Beautiful Dreamer" was ALFAFA, from the Little Rascals (Our Gang). Alfafa singing (warbling) "Beautiful Dreamer."...which lead to images/sounds of Alfafa warbling "I'm the Barber of Seville" as as way to show off to Darla to lure her away from Butch! (if my memory serves!).
(that's tall, bow tied-Alfafa, next to horn playing Spankie; and skeptical Darla with the chalkboard to Spankie's right)Have a look at the links below, and have a good week too - see you next! SR
RESOURCESPBS American Experience: Stephen Foster
time line, teachers guide, listen, sheet music
Many additional Stephen Foster links and info: see WIkipedia
Public domain music: midi music and lyrics to Foster's songs
Collection of American Popular Music
Kingwood College Library: A Chronological Subject Guide To AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC BEFORE 1900
